


glowing dim as an ember

by Hazazel



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Hurt/Comfort, Little Mermaid Elements, M/M, Multi, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Sugawara Koushi, Other, Polyamory, Sad with a Happy Ending, Trans Character, Whump, a teeny bit of, i swear i've finished it, please be patient with me !, though updates will be slow as it's taking a huge toll on me to beta it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:15:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27825883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hazazel/pseuds/Hazazel
Summary: Koushi senses a layer of genuine hurt underneath the petty gesture and they make sure once again that the brooch is in place. It is. Oikawa should remember nothing that justifies the undercurrent of bitterness in his voice. They’re probably the one hurting the most right now, with how much their heart aches for the sea, with how much they crave the embrace of those arms.It’s probably better if they change paths. It’ll be easier not to walk by the sea, not to be tempted by pink lips, cream skin, teal scales. They yearn for green eyes, too, but they chase the image of tan skin and brown fins from their mind as soon as they realise it’s been conjured.It would probably be easier not to miss all of it if they weren’t a mermaid, too.-Mermaid AU, secrets, hurt/comfort, eventual happy ending !
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Iwaizumi Hajime/Sugawara Koushi, Oikawa Tooru/Sugawara Koushi, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10
Collections: HQ Polyam Bang





	glowing dim as an ember

**Author's Note:**

> hoooooly shit this is it. after legit 5 years of thinking about this idea, it's finally here in written format, for your very own pleasure (and mine !)  
> this was so amazingly beta-ed by Nikki ([NikkiCross](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NikkiCross/pseuds/NikkiCross) on ao3) and Paws ([infamouswhitepaws](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfamousWhitePaws/pseuds/InfamousWhitePaws) on ao3), and of course the last chapter will have a little treat from the artist i partnered up with, Ave ([NicheTales](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NicheTales) on ao3) ! stay tuned and please show them some love as well !

The cold bites at their face and Koushi tightens the scarf around their nose and mouth, hoping to fend off the wind a little. Bundled up in a dark blue coat, their ashen hair and skin blend in with the slate-grey sky to the point where someone could wonder if the light came from their brown eyes or the billowing clouds. The sea crashes and splashes below them, droplets of water reaching the high cliffside walk, and they hiss as they try to avoid the puddles in between the rocks. The water must feel cold, its salty scent already penetrating their scarf, so they hurry as much as they can considering they’re using a crutch, hoping to get home before they meet-

“Hello hello! What have we here!”

Too late. As Koushi looks down past the handrail, they can see a silhouette emerging from the water, strong arms weaving through the thick seaweed that covers the cliffside, a head of chestnut hair and strange, glowing markings on either side of his face - those are his ears, Koushi remembers.

“Suga-chan, hey, did you miss me ?”

If they don’t answer, maybe he’ll go away. He doesn’t know who they are, at least, calling them “Suga-chan” as a sort of default from the name they gave him, “Sugawara”. It  _ is _ part of their name, however they have many, and this one is one of their least favourite. If they don’t answer, maybe it won’t hurt as much.

“Hi Oikawa, I see that you’re well today.”

“Oh, you’re a dear! Some boat sank not too far and we ate the dead, so I’m feeling quite full, to tell you the truth. I still got a little place for you though!”

This last sentence is accompanied by a peace sign. Oikawa must have spied on the nearby middle school girls, who Koushi knows are prone to do the same gesture… He’s catching up on human life almost as if he were interested in it. Koushi suppresses a shiver at the thought of Oikawa coming on Land.

He also has to repress a snort. Mermaids don’t eat human flesh, but then again, Oikawa is saying this just to scare them, and Koushi tries to not think of the taste of raw fish with too much nostalgia. 

“Are you sure you’re allowed to show yourself during the day? Or at all?” Koushi asks, trying to sound more assured than they truly are. Oikawa’s voice is deep and gravelly, like he’s already spent some time with his hair above the surface. 

“My my, what a knowledgeable person we have here,” Oikawa mocks. “It’s windy and rainy, so you’re the only one out and my skin isn’t gonna dry. Mermaids know their stuff, Suga-chan.”

Koushi grits their teeth. Oikawa’s skin, speckled with teal scales, glows softly in the dark afternoon, and his hair is tied up in a bun by an ornate brooch made of seashells and pearls. Koushi makes sure it’s still there every time Oikawa comes to visit, but he doesn’t seem to have taken it off in the past weeks they’ve been walking along this path.

They should be scared. Oikawa frequently boasts about eating humans and he seems to have a vested interest in making them take a quick saltwater bath. And… he’s a mermaid. That fact alone would be enough to send seasoned sailors reeling, though Koushi hardly finds it consequential. Oikawa is as dangerous to them as a pebble, because as long as they stay away from the waves, he can’t reach them. As long as they don’t touch the sea, as long as the only contact they have with it is the ocean mist, they’re fine.

That was the plan.

A voice pierces through their musings. “Suga-chan, come on, you’re not even listening!” Oikawa pouts.

Koushi senses a layer of genuine hurt underneath the petty gesture and they make sure once again that the brooch is in place. It is. Oikawa should remember nothing that justifies the undercurrent of bitterness in his voice. They’re probably the one hurting the most right now, with how much their heart aches for the sea, with how much they crave the embrace of those arms.

It’s probably better if they change paths. It’ll be easier not to walk by the sea, not to be tempted by pink lips, cream skin, teal scales. They yearn for green eyes, too, but they chase the image of tan skin and brown fins from their mind as soon as they realise it’s been conjured.

It would probably be easier not to miss all of it if they weren’t a mermaid, too.

**Author's Note:**

> aaand that's it for now !!! please please please, understand that this was a labour of love, and i do mean labour, because it took so long and so much planning and care went into it ! so leave comments, leave kudos (you don't need an account for either), and spread the word ! i'd be eternally grateful


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